Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-06
A Pilots Ex perienee with Dynamite.
fSan Francisco Call

81 had little experience with giant
powder myself once" said Captain
Mayo, the wen-known pilot, the other
day during conversation in which the
Parallel affair had been the main topic.
"How was that, Captain ?" asked
one of the party.
"Well, il was some years ago-just
how many / don't call to mind now
an American man-of-war, when on her
way into port from the China station,
overhauled brig Just off the Faral-
lones, which was evidently on fire. as
smoke was issuing from the matches.
The officer in command hailed the
smoking craft, and learned from the
skipper that he had load of lime, and
it was burning. A hawser was attached
to the brig, and she was lowed into
brakes bay, where the navy people
rugged hose, opened the matches, and In
iected some chemical preparation that
soon caused the smoke to s,ibside and APP
parently put stop to the burning forthe
time. The brig was then taken in tow
and brought down nearly to the north
head, where, as the skipper said he
could find his way in under sail, the
naval chap let her go. Just at this
time | came alongside the brig, and,
as they said they wanted pilot, | got
on board. / thought smelled some
thing funny as | walked aft, and when
/ got alongside the man ut the wheel |
asked him what they had aboard.
"'Well, sir, he replied, as cool as
cucumber, we've got lime and cement
and giant-powder and fuses
1.-The d you have ! said |. is
that all 2
"Then he told me about the time
they had had with the burning lime;
how the gunboat had towed them into
Brakes bay and put out the fire, and
all that. You can imagine that what
the sailor said did not make me feel.
any too comfortable, and on looking for
ward Just then | saw little wreath Of
smoke curling mp through the after
hatch, although il was battened down.
The captain came strolling along aft at
that moment. He was Il German, "a
thick-set, red-faced rather stupid
looking chap. | said to him What
kind of cargo have you got,
anyway, captain Do you want
to send us all to kingdom-come? >
oh, don't. you he afraid, pilot
we'll get in all right. Come be-
low and take little wbiskey.' This
latter invitation respectfully declined.
If there ever was time when a man
wanted to keep his head clear ii WAS
Just about then. Well, we had a good
breeze and the tide was in orr favor,
and We came along up by Meiggs's
wharf in good style. All this time,
however, the smoke was getting thicker
and thicker. | was not at all treasured
when | learned that the powder and
the fuses were all slowed Just under the
main hatch where the fire seemed to
be the hottest. The fire-boat came
alongside when We were off Wash
ington-street wharf and took us in tow.
/ told Captain Gardiner, says /, Sam,
we're got small hell aboard, and you'd
better work lively, or you'll be sent
skyward.' Well, gentlemen, they did
work lively, you bet; they yanked the
brig down TO Mission Rock, and in
jiffy had gang of men at work pour
ing water into her hold, and in less
than an hour had the fire all out. We
found, through an examination after
ward, that several punches of fuse had
started to burn and had been quenched
by the water, many being half con-
snmed. That was my first experience
with giant-powder, and | don't want
any more of it,"